Related papers: A Problem of Knot
We consider a natural model of random knotting- choose a knot diagram at random from the finite set of diagrams with n crossings. We tabulate diagrams with 10 and fewer crossings and classify the diagrams by knot type, allowing us to…
Tanglegrams are a special class of graphs appearing in applications concerning cospeciation and coevolution in biology and computer science. They are formed by identifying the leaves of two rooted binary trees. We give an explicit formula…
A tanglegram consists of two binary rooted trees with the same number of leaves and a perfect matching between the leaves of the trees. We show that the two halves of a random tanglegram essentially look like two independently chosen random…
A binary tanglegram is a pair <S,T> of binary trees whose leaf sets are in one-to-one correspondence; matching leaves are connected by inter-tree edges. For applications, for example in phylogenetics or software engineering, it is required…
Random braids that are formed by multiplying randomly chosen permutation braids are studied by analyzing their behavior under Garside's weighted decomposition and cycling. Using this analysis, we propose a polynomial-time algorithm to the…
In a previous work, the first and third authors studied a random knot model for all two-bridge knots using billiard table diagrams. Here we present a closed formula for the distribution of the crossing numbers of such random knots. We also…
The lectures review the state of affairs in modern branch of mathematical physics called probabilistic topology. In particular we consider the following problems: (i) We estimate the probability of a trivial knot formation on the lattice…
Given a system of equations in a "random" finitely generated subgroup of the braid group, we show how to find a small ordered list of elements in the subgroup, which contains a solution to the equations with a significant probability.…
In thermally fluctuating long linear polymeric chain in solution, the ends come from time to time into a direct contact or a close vicinity of each other. At such an instance, the chain can be regarded as a closed one and thus will form a…
In 1986, Janson showed that the number of edges in the union of $k$ random spanning trees in the complete graph $K_n$ is a shifted Poisson distribution. Using results from the theory of electrical networks, we provide a new proof of this…
Families of alternating knots (links) and tangles are studied using as building block the conway defined as the twisting of two strands. The regular representation of knots assumes the projection has the minimal number of overpassings, and…
What is the probability that a random triangle is acute? We explore this old question from a modern viewpoint, taking into account linear algebra, shape theory, numerical analysis, random matrix theory, the Hopf fibration, and much much…
Packing graphs is a combinatorial problem where several given graphs are being mapped into a common host graph such that every edge is used at most once. In the planar tree packing problem we are given two trees T1 and T2 on n vertices and…
Tanglegrams are formed by taking two rooted binary trees $T$ and $S$ with the same number of leaves and uniquely matching each leaf in $T$ with a leaf in $S$. They are usually represented using layouts, which embed the trees and the…
We use the Chebyshev knot diagram model of Koseleff and Pecker in order to introduce a random knot diagram model by assigning the crossings to be positive or negative uniformly at random. We give a formula for the probability of choosing a…
Charles L. Dodgson, also known as Lewis Carroll, in his book "Pillow problems" from 1893 asked for the likelihood of a random triangle to be obtuse. Clearly, the answer to Dodgson's question depends strongly on the assumed random…
The study of knots and links from a probabilistic viewpoint provides insight into the behavior of "typical" knots, and opens avenues for new constructions of knots and other topological objects with interesting properties. The knotting of…
We study the growth of a time-ordered rooted tree by probabilistic attachment of new vertices to leaves. We construct a likelihood function of the leaves based on the connectivity of the tree. We take such connectivity to be induced by the…
Tanglegrams are drawings of two rooted binary phylogenetic trees and a matching between their leaf sets. The trees are drawn crossing-free on opposite sides with their leaf sets facing each other on two vertical lines. Instead of minimizing…
A cluster of $n$ needles ($1\leq n<\infty$) is dropped at random onto a plane lattice of rectangles. Each needle is fixed at one end in the cluster centre and can rotate independently about this centre. The distribution of the relative…